Set five years after the events of Borderlands, Handsome Jack, the game's main antagonist, has taken over the Hyperion corporation, has declared himself Dictator of Pandora, and stolen all of the credit for finding the Vault, going so far to claim responsibility for killing the Destroyer. Jack has also blotted out much of the light on the planet by having a giant orbiting H-shaped base set in front of Pandora's stationary moon. The new team in Borderlands 2 is tasked with killing Jack and returning peace to Pandora.

A massive variety of weapons was one of the primary selling points of the first Borderlands, touted in ad campaigns as featuring “87 bazillion” guns. While the game may not have actually invented a new unit of measurement, there certainly was a ton of unique weapons with a wide variety of attributes and functions. If you looked at these guns within your inventory, you’d get to see which manufacturer made them.

Anyone who played through the first game is familiar with the bandit foes (hell, a bandit is even the primary focus of the box art). In Borderlands 2, these troublemakers have started putting together their own weaponry. They’re not the most organized or mechanically inclined group, so their selection will be notably ramshackle. Instead of a scope, a Bandit sniper rifle might feature a glass bottle. Instead of iron sights, a screw. On the plus side, Bandit guns feature the largest magazines of any manufacturer, though the increased size leads to longer reload times.

Dahl

Borderlands certainly sticks out from the crowded FPS marketplace, but Dahl’s weapons should feel familiar to fans of modern military shooters. These weapons will resemble more realistic gun designs like the firearms from series such as Call of Duty and Battlefield.

Hyperion

Even if you don’t remember the Hyperion name from the first Borderlands, you know their visual style thanks to a certain robotic buddy they happened to manufacture. Yes, Claptrap’s clean yellow-and-white design is a trademark of the weapons dealer, and their guns will feature the same look.

Vladof

These weapons carry a distinctly Russian vibe, with similarities to the ultra-common AK-47. This being Borderlands and all, it wouldn't feel right to not have at least some silliness present. That's why all of Vladof's weapons will have minigun barrels as attachments. In terms of stars, this brand boasts the highest fire rate out of any of Pandora's weapons.Tediore

Tediore manufactures Pandora’s equivalent to a disposable Bic lighter. Once you’re done unloading a clip full of ammunition from this brand’s rifles, it can be thrown like a grenade. The more ammunition you have left in the clip when thrown, the more powerful the explosion will be. After it self-destructs, the weapon “reloads” by constructing a new firearm out of your character’s Digistruct module. Using Tediore weapons allows for interesting strategic decisions - do you utilize every bullet while taking out your enemies, or do you leave half of them in the clip for a bigger blast?

Torgue

Borderlands is an explosive, over-the-top gaming experience. If the game was boiled down and turned into a gun, it would surely be Torgue-made. This far-from-modest manufacturer specializes in the most destructive, insane weapons in Pandora. Don’t expect silencers and subtlety here...Torgue is about creating the biggest, loudest display of power possible.

Maliwan

We didn't get a chance to see many Maliwan weapons, but Gearbox described this brand as one of the sleeker options in the game. We wouldn't be surprised to see these guns have a bit of a futuristic feel to them.

Jakobs
These weapons resemble a cross between guns of the old west and guns from World War II. They may look a bit antiquated, but they pack more of a punch than any competitor thanks to their high damage stats.

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